Meaning & use
lingual frenulum
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablemedicaltechnical
The small band of tissue that joins the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth.
Grammar: Countable and usually used with 'the'; the plural is 'lingual frenula'.
Patterns
- a short lingual frenulum
- the lingual frenulum is attached to something
The dentist lifted her tongue to check the lingual frenulum.
In some newborns the lingual frenulum is unusually short, which can make feeding difficult.
A cut lingual frenulum usually heals on its own within a few days.
nounsingularmedical
This structure considered as the cause of restricted tongue movement, as in tongue-tie.
Grammar: Used in the singular when talking about the condition rather than the body part.
Patterns
- a tight lingual frenulum
- release the lingual frenulum
The surgeon released the lingual frenulum to improve his speech.
Babies with a tight lingual frenulum may struggle to latch on when breastfeeding.
Assessment of the lingual frenulum is now routine in many maternity units.
Word forms
| plural | lingual frenula |
|---|
Common combinations
- a short lingual frenulum
- A short lingual frenulum can limit how far the tongue lifts.
- a tight lingual frenulum
- The clinic sees several babies a week with a tight lingual frenulum.
- release the lingual frenulum
- They decided to release the lingual frenulum under local anesthetic.
- the lingual frenulum is attached
- In most people the lingual frenulum is attached near the base of the tongue.
- examine the lingual frenulum
- The doctor asked her to lift her tongue so he could examine the lingual frenulum.
Synonyms and how they differ
- frenulum of the tongue
- A longer, more formal way of naming the same structure, often used in anatomy textbooks.
- tongue-tie
- Everyday and medical shorthand for a lingual frenulum that is too short or too tight, not for the normal structure.
Word family
Commonly confused: lingual frenulum or labial frenulum? lingual frenulum or lingual nerve?
lingual frenulum vs labial frenulum
This is the similar band of tissue joining the upper lip to the gum; 'lingual' points to the tongue instead.
lingual frenulum vs lingual nerve
That is a nerve supplying sensation to the tongue, not a piece of tissue, so the two are easy to mix up in medical texts.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'lingual frenulum' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Lingual' means 'relating to the tongue' and a frenulum is a small band of tissue, so option A fits. The other options describe the heart, the skull and the esophagus, none of which is a frenulum.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lingual frenulum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.